Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley holds a pivotal place in the history of our church. It was he who 'put Eversley on the
map': by inviting notable people of his day to the Church and to the Rectory, by preaching sermons in
which he pulled no punches on social and religious issues, by writing numerous books and pamphlets, and
by his deep interest in natural history. He was by nature an inquisitive man and a ‘searcher for the
truth’, not just in religious matters but all the many subjects in which he was interested. He made his
mark is so many fields he can justifiably called “a man of many parts”.

As a young boy

Kingsley was born on 12th June, 1819 in the village of Holne, Devon, where his father was curate. Soon
after his birth the family moved to Nottinghamshire and then to Barnack, near Peterborough, on his father’s
appointment as Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Peterborough.

His parents proved to be ideal role models for a bright child. His father was a keen sportsman and much
interested in natural history and the arts. His mother, who had been born in the West Indies, was a lover
of poetry and literature, as well as being attracted to the new scientific developments of the 19th
century.

The young Charles grew into a gifted but rather delicate and sensitive child. He gave his first 'sermon'
from a little pulpit in the nursery when he was only four years old, and was writing poetry before he was
five. His sporting and natural history interests were developed whilst at Barnack. He often went on
horseback with his father when he was out shooting, and spent many hours watching birds and catching
butterflies in the Fens.

Return to Devon

Clovelly

In 1830, Kingsley's father returned to Devon to become Rector of Clovelly. This provided new experiences
for the young Kingsley. The seashore, with its flora and fauna, rock pools, shells and geological specimens
excited him. The people he met, particularly the fishermen and their families, gave him new and lasting
insights into the lives of ordinary folk.

Charles attended a preparatory school at Clifton before being sent to Helston School. Here he was commended
for his studies, especially Latin, and his interest in natural history and related subjects was encouraged.
He was a studious, hard-working boy but was not universally popular. He was shy, and afflicted by a
stammer which gave him problems throughout his life. Although he did not excel in team games he often
demonstrated courage in individual pursuits.

London

In 1836, his father moved again to a living in Chelsea. This was a bitter blow to Charles, now 17 years
old, as it meant leaving his beloved Devon. He found city life a mixture of middle-class superficiality
and, in the poorer areas, abject poverty and deprivation. He was bored by the former and distressed by
the latter. He enrolled as a day student at King's College and devoted his days to reading voraciously
all manner of books from poetry to religious tracts, and studying the Bible.

Cambridge

Magdalene College, Cambridge

In autumn 1838, he left King's and went up to Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he gained a scholarship.
In contrast to his time at school, he proved to be popular at Cambridge and made many friends;
"Whatever he engaged in, he threw his whole energy into; he read hard at times, but enjoyed sports
of all kinds, fishing, shooting, riding, and cards" one of his friends wrote.

Whilst at Cambridge, Kingsley was filled with religious doubts and had little faith in the clergy with
whom he came in contact: "From very insufficient and ambiguous grounds in the Bible, they seem
unjustifiably to have built up a huge superstructure, whose details they have filled in according to
their own fancies or, alas, too often according to their own interest . . . . . ," he wrote in 1840.
But, during 1841, after much thought and further reading, he decided to make the Church his profession
instead of the law, which had been his earlier inclination. "I feel as if, once in the Church, I could
cling so much closer to God," he said in one of his letters.

Kingsley obtained a first-class honours degree in classics in 1842 and achieved a very high standard in
mathematics. After a physically exhausting and mentally draining time at Cambridge, he now prepared
himself for a new life in the Church.

Holy Orders

While studying for Holy Orders he was offered the curacy of Eversley, Hampshire. In July 1842 he was
ordained deacon and very soon afterwards his long association with Eversley began.